Dolby Labs Sponsored Sound of Games Exhibit Opens to Media September 6, Public September 7

By: General Press

The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (The MADE) will open the doors on its newest exhibit, the The Sound of Games, on Friday, September 7.

Details after the jump.

This exhibition will open to the media and art world on September 6 with an exclusive opening party, then to the public the following day during the Oakland Art Murmur First Friday Art Walk. The exhibition is made possible thanks to equipment and space donations from Dolby Labs.

The exhibit will feature playable examples of significant games, from Mega Man 2 and Super Metroid–which feature influential and iconic music–to Parappa the Rapper and Vib-Ribbon, both of which were created by innovative Japanese game designer Masaya Matsuura, and feature original music-oriented gameplay. Other games on display will include Y’s 1 and 2, Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and Star Control 2.

The Sound of Games will also feature playable games on PC, Apple IIGS, and Atari ST, as well. Throughout the month of September, the MADE will host lectures and events relating to the exhibit, including visits and lectures from famous audio designers. Dates and names are still being finalized for these supplemental events, and more information will be available soon.

In addition to the playable significant games, the MADE’s History of Audio exhibit will also feature the world’s only playable copy of Deep Sea, a game played entirely with sound and a joystick. Deep Sea was created by Robin Arnott, and utilizes a unique headset to create an original gaming soundscape.

The Sound of Games will be on display at the MADE until further notice. The exhibit can be seen on weekends, during regular visitation hours from 12 – 6 Saturdays and Sundays. Additional weekday and evening hours of operation are event-based, so interested visitors should check the calendar on the front page of the MADE’s Website:

The MADE is a 501c(3) non-profit video game museum dedicated to the preservation of videogames, and the presentation of games as art. The MADE raised its initial $20,000 on crowd-funding site Kickstarter.com, and has used those funds to pay for rent, Internet and insurance at its facilities in downtown Oakland.

“In the twelve months since we opened the doors of the MADE, we’ve accomplished every goal we set. Our free classes in Python and Scratch are overflowing with kids, our attendees are playing significant games across many systems, and our community has grown to support talks, tournaments and co-working days,” said Alex Handy, director of The MADE.

Henry Lowood, Curator for History of Science & Technology Collections at Stanford University Libraries and founding member of The MADE’s board of directors, said that “Digital games without a doubt have become one of the central creative media available for entertainment, art and other forms of expression. So much so that contemporary cultural history is difficult to talk about without including digital games. As a result, not only will the history of this medium be lost if we do not preserve the history of digital games, but there is more at stake: we will be unable to provide a complete cultural history of our times.”

About The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (MADE)

Founded in 2010, The MADE is an all volunteer organization created by Alex Handy, a video game journalist and technological archaeologist based in Oakland, California. In 2008 Mr. Handy unearthed an 25-year-old parcel of long lost Atari 2600 and Colecovision games at a flea market in that city, spurring his creation of the Museum. The MADE is an IRS recognized 501c(3) not-for-profit organization. It’s EIN number is 26-4570976 . The MADE is 100% volunteer operated.